The Progressive Era
A Woman’s Job is never done!
Farmers, Industrial workers, and domestic workers.
Plow, raise livestock, and raise children.
1 out 5 American women held jobs
25% of them in manufacturing
Jobs in stores, classrooms, and offices. These jobs required a High school education.
Clean for other families.
In 1870 nearly 70% of women employed were servants.
Women and Education
Vassar College—8 men and 22 women— accepted first students in 1865.
Smith and Wellesly Colleges founded in 1875.
Separate college for women.
By the late 19th century women had other options beside marriage.
Women begin to focus on social reform.
Acronyms
NACW—National Association of Colored Women. Managed nurseries, reading rooms, and
kindergartens.
NAWSA—National American Woman Suffrage Association.
Liquor industry feared that women would vote in support of prohibition.
Textile industry feared they would vote against child labor.
Men just feared the changing role of women.
Susan B. Anthony
Proponent leader during the women’s suffrage movement.
“I’ll sooner cut off my right hand than ask the ballot for the black man and not for women.”
Along with Cady Staton founded the National Women Suffrage Association.
3-Part Strategy
Grant WOMEN the right to vote
Pursued court cases to test the 14th Amendment—declared that states denying their male
citizens the right to vote.
Susan B. Anthony attempted to vote!
In 1875 Supreme Court ruled women are citizens too!
National Constitutional Amendment to grant women the right to vote.
All of these reforms were supported by Teddy Roosevelt.
Teddy Roosevelt
President 1901
Boxer
Wrestled
Horse back rider
Served 3 years in the New York State Assembly
Asst. Secretary of the U.S. Navy
Rough Riders
Battle at San Juan Hill in Cuba.
Returned a hero
Elected Governor of New York.
Later won Vice-President
Modern Presidency
Used his popularity to advance his programs.
Leadership and publicity campaign’s shape the way for future presidents.
It is the federal governments responsibility to take control when the states proved to be
incapable of dealing with problems.
“bully pulpit”—influence the media and shape legislation.
If you were taken advantage of by big business, Roosevelt made sure you got a Square Deal.
Various progressive reforms offered by is administration.
Trustbusting
Powerful people owned the big businesses and had a lot of political power.
Higher prices for their products due to no competition.
Filed 44 suits under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
Won several of these cases.
Unable to slow the merger movement in business.
1902 Coal Strike
140,000 workers on strike in Pennsylvania.
20% raise
9 hour workday
Union
Roosevelt intervenes calling both sides to the White House.
Arbitration Commission—3rd party that would work for both sides to mediate the dispute.
Miners win 10% pay increase, 9 hour workday.
All workers must belong to the Union.
When a strike threatened the public welfare the federal government was to step in.
Meat Inspection Act
1906 Roosevelt pushed for the Meat Inspection Act which dictated strict cleanliness
requirements for meatpackers and created the program for federal meat inspection.
Pure Food and Drug Act
1906
Stopped the sale of contaminated foods and medicines and called for truth in labeling.
Given accurate information people would act wisely.
Civil Rights
Failed to support civil rights for AA.
Did support some individual AA’s.
Booker T. Washington was invited to the White House.
Blamed black poverty on blacks and urged them to accept discrimination.
NAACP
W.E.B. Du Bois along with other AA and whites formed the NAACP in 1909.
Fight injustice and inequality among AA.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Over 6,000 by 1914.
Full equality among the races.
Little support during the Progressive Movement.
William Howard Taft
Ran against William Jennings Bryan.
“Vote for Taft this time, you can vote for Bryan any time.”
Republican
Did not want to expand Roosevelt’s reforms.
Didn’t want to use presidential bully tactics.
Tariffs and Conservation posed as his first problems.
Payne-Aldrich Tariff
Campaign lowering tariffs.
Compromise that only moderated the high rates of the Aldrich Bill.
“The best tariff bill the Republican party ever passed.”
Disputing Public Lands
Sec. Of interior Richard A. Ballinger
Disapproved of conservationist controls on western land. 1 million acres removed of forest
and mining lands and returned back to the public domain.
Bull Moose Party
Est. 1912
Progressive Party
“Strong as a bull Moose”—Roosevelt
Advocated women suffrage, workmen’s comp, 8 hour workday, minimum wage for women,
laws against child labor, trade commission to regulate business.
Woodrow Wilson
End to Capitalism.
Small business and free market competition.
Monopolies are evil!!
42% of popular vote, won the electoral victory and a
Democratic majority in Congress.
3 party candidate, Wilson beat Taft in the popular vote
and electoral votes.
Break-up trust and expand the government role in social
reform.
Supported workmen’s comp and the regulation
of public utilities and railroads.
“New Freedom”
Triple wall of privilege:
Trust
Tariffs
High Finance
Antitrust Measures
Clayton Antitrust Act—1914; prohibited corporations from acquiring the stock of another if
doing so would create a monopoly.
Strikes, peaceful picketing, boycotts became legal.
Injunctions against strikers became illegal.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)—1914; “Watch Dog” agency, power to investigate
possible violations or regulatory statues.
400 cease and desist orders to companies engaged in illegal activity.
Tariffs and Taxes
Senate votes to cut tariffs.
Replace the revenue that tariffs provided.
16th Amendment legalized federal income tax, provided revenue by taxing individual earnings
and corporate profits.
Larger incomes taxed larger amounts.
By 1917 the government was receiving more money on the income tax than it had ever
gained from tariffs.
Federal Reserve System
Money supply and credit availability had to keep pace with the economy.
Federal Reserve Act of 1913—divided the nation into 12 districts and established a regional
bank in each district. “Bankers Bank”
Issue new paper currency in emergency situations.
Still the Nations banking system.
Women Can Vote!!!
19th Amendment—granting women the right to vote.
August 1920
72 years after women had first organized and demanded the vote at the Seneca Fall
convention in 1848.
Answer the following questions worth 5 points.
What actions of Wilson disappointed civil rights advocates?